Indoor ride

So, call me a loser if you wish (but do it with a smiley face :)), but I did my bike ride inside today. Just didn't feel like going out for some reason so I put my 29er on a trainer (ignoring the thousands of $'s invested in a Tacx virtual trainer and Cyclops Powertap trainer) and stuck on our 24 Hours Solo DVD.

I only road for about an hour and tried to keep well hydrated throughout, but I happened to weigh myself shortly before the ride start so I checked my weight afterwards too and I lost exactly 1 lb in an hour.

Not that it's hard to sweat a pound away, but I was drinking lots. Yup, it was hot.

It's Time ... for 24 Hrs ...

While I cannot take part in this sweet race (still in a cast - baahh!), it will be an epic event and Lori & I plan to stop by Sunday morning (after a get-together in Lake of the Woods with a bunch of friends) to cheer on the racers and soak up the atmosphere. So you all there ...

Ryder reaches new heights ...

Hey Scott, here's another big Canadian reason to be interested in the TDF coverage ...


Our big Canadian, Ryder Hesjedal had a great Stage 18 finish on the Tourmalet, keeping himself in the top 10 of the GC ... in fact he jumped two places to 8th overall - very cool!

Plus he's on my FGBC TDF Pool Team :-)

They're following like sheep...

Found another reason to be interested in TfF coverage. Pretty funny actually (poor little sheep)...

CMU in Hot Pursuit - Day 3 Video

WOW!!! They passed Arvid and the Gogo Grannies, then charged into Winnipeg with an escort gang of FGBC, RRR and other riders to finish up their "Big Idea" Hot Pursuit ride ... arrived home way ahead of predictions - amazing!

Check out Darryl's latest video masterpiece:


CHAPEAU - CHAPEAU - CHAPEAU - CHAPEAU - CHAPEAU !!!!

CMU in Hot Pursuit - Day 2 Video

Check out the latest Team CMU video ... more of Darryl's excellent work here:



Lori, Brett and I met up with Team CMU at the visitors centre at the SK-MB border around 5:45 PM (on our way to Swift Current). They were all doing great. G and KK were out riding, with Darryl and the van gang following. Chris, Craig and John all looked in good spirits and their support crew in the RV were all happy and very organized. It was a pleasure to drop off a dozen cinnamon buns from Tall Grass Prairie in Winnipeg (like they need any more go fast energy boosts!?). Safe finish guys - you all rock!

CMU in Hot Pursuit - Day 1 Video

Slick video Darryl:


Glad you found a way to rear mount the GoPro camera (still can't find the missing clamp to my bar mount).

The lead pursuers "Team CMU" video

Team CMU is smokin'! ... Check out this video:


They are riding hard and obviously gelling as a team. Fast and safe dudes!

Btw, Lori and I are heading out west to Swift Current tomorrow morning to attend a funeral for Lori's last and cherished Uncle Eddie ... so we will be looking for the Hot Pursuit riders and hope to cheer them on (we also have some cinnamon buns from Tall Grass Prairie for whoever is in the lead!).

Arvid "Out of Calgary" Video

Arvid Loewen is one impassioned riding machine! ... Check out this video:


Amazing grit ... rainstorms? headwinds? sore gut? ... no stopping him! WOW!!!

COH Day 15

We are scheduled to ride from Morden to Brunkild and then load the bikes onto the trailers and drive to Winnipeg. A staging location is set up on the west side of the city where we will start the parade. The bikes roll out of Morden shortly after 6:00 am. Riding speeds are fairly casual today. We have four hours to ride 77 km to Brunkild but the wind is providing some resistance today. A riding speed of 20 kph will be required to meet deadlines. About 20 minutes after turning north onto #3 highway we spot lightning and hear thunder. Shortly after that the riders are stopped and the bikes are racked due to safety concerns. An assesment of the weather suggests that this system may move through quickly and we might resume the ride a bit further up the road. In Carman we continue the ride. We've been given two hours to get from Carman to Oak Bluff, a distance of about 65 km. It will take an average speed of just over 30 kph and with the resistance from the wind I'm only able to average 27 kph. It will be close. None of that matters in the end as the thunder and lightning return and we are stopped for good in Brunkild. We move on to our staging point on the west side of the city and while waiting for our police escort I'm visited by members of my family and TomK and Lori. At 12:15 we move out for our parade through the city. I spot ScottW along the route as well as a few other familiar faces. James and I are using our GoPro cameras and catching all the action. We finally arrive at the build site just off Narin and are warmly greeted by the build volunteers. Lael is there with a hug and a smooch. There is a short program and the 2010 COH is complete. I'm exausted, my bike is dirty, but one family has hope and a home. The first walls of their new home are being raised as we drive away from the Habitat For Humanity build site.

Lava Magazine is live

I was just google-chatting with Mark, who was beach-side watching Jen in the ocean swells on a swim in San Diego and it donned on me to post a quick blurb to say that Jen's new publication, Lava Magazine, is now online. Jen is the senior web editor, so this is pretty much her baby.

Congrats Jen on the huge accomplishment of going live, and all the best as you carry on from here. Oh, and continue to enjoy the surf!

It's going to get HOT HOT HOT !!!

HOT HOT HOT ... three teams will soon be in Hot Pursuit of Arvid Loewen (who is as of right now [7:00 PST] already in Revelstoke - 568 kms done in one day!), with Team CMU getting ready to head off from Whiterock within the next hour; at the same time as the "GoGos" Grannies Team heads off from Calgary, followed by the "Cops 4 Kids" Wpg Police Service team three hours later from Whiterock.

Check it out Here: www.hotpursuit.cmu.ca and Here: www.hotpursuit2010.com

Good luck to all and safe biking in pursuit of helping your charities ... winning is just a bonus.

Brian's almost there...

Brian and the rest of the Habitat bike crew are almost home! They just passed by Polo Park and I got a couple of quick shots as they passed by. I'm sure we'll get a recap from Brian, but let me jump the gun just a little to say "job well done".

COH Day 14

You would think that after about 14 days getting up at 5 am and the whole morning routine would be getting easier. That does not seem to be working for me. The good news is that there is only one more day to do this. As we step outside this morning we are greeted with near perfect conditions. The route would take mostly east and the forecast was for the wind at our back again. 146 km done in 4 hours and 24 minutes. That is significantly faster than the speed that I would normally ride at, but when the wind is pushing you along it is easy to ride that fast. Mike needs to finish today and is not feeling great today and would like a pull in order to make his day easier. Mike has worked in the ag business for many years so we talked about the crops in the area. The first day I wore the training coop/Puratone jersey he asked me about my connection to Puratone. I was happy to explain. As I reported, the speeds were high today so the lunch stop was moved to 106 km. Although this seems far we arrived for lunch just after 10 am. After eating we depart a few minutes before 11 and cover the remaining kilometers in just under an hour (wind assisted). The road conditions were quite rough and at one point my GoPro camera suffered a mount failure. The camera was stopped when the mount broke but the impact started the recording function. The resulting video is rather amusing. The file is a bit too big to download now, I will try to add it to the blog when I get home.

COH Day 13

We are down to our last three days until our return on Saturday afternoon. Today is a short ride, just over 100 km. The highlight for this day is a stop at the International Peace Garden. I've lived in Manitoba all my life and never been to this park. What an incredible spot. The surroundings coming into the park and the park itself are beautiful. The park is nicely set out with flowers, sidewalks, streams and monuments. There are some newer buildings that I did not have time to explore but looked very interesting. Besides all of this beauty there is a monument commemorating 9/11 that includes some of the iron work from the twin towers in New York. It was a very special stop and if you have never been to the park I would encourage you to visit. After leaving the park we crossed the border into Canada. As we leave the border crossing the winds are blowing east and we are still moving north. After about 10 - 15 km we turn east and pick up this wind. Our speeds also increase and we are moving at 45 - 55 kph. At noon we arrive in Killarney, everyone is bragging about their speed in the last 30 km (yes TomK it was wind assisted but not downhill assisted). During the afternoon I have a chance to reflect on some of the neat things I've been part of during this year's COH. Like having Al come up to me only a few days into the ride with a destroyed Shimano cleat and ask me if I could help. I could because I had decided to pack an extra set of Shimano cleats just in case. Or when one other rider cut a tire and I was able to supply him with a new one. Glenn discovered that Assos chamois cream worked way better than what he had brought along and when he needed relief a new tub of Assos cream was in his hands. This type of helping out happens all the time whether it's parts, advice or repairs everyone finds someone to help or someone to help them.

COH Day 12

Today's distance is a mere 138 km. After riding a few kilometers north we turn east. There is a steady wind out of the west. I am riding with James today and we are riding at a quick pace. Shortly after turning east we stop at a farm yard. There is a wonderful elderly couple that has setup a cookie stop just for us. It was so nice of them and all the cyclists are very grateful for this unexpected and special surprise. We are back on our bikes and keep on moving. The effort is low and speeds are great! The day will be finished early at this rate. James and I encounter on long downhill and are determined to better our individual speed records. I max out at 74 kph and James wins the challenge with 76 kph. At around the 70 km distance everyone has stopped. There is road construction and we rack the bikes for the next 20 km. Once every one has arrived we load the remaining bikes and drive through the work zone. It's a shame that we cannot ride the full day, things were moving so smoothly. Once through the construction zone the riders begin riding again. Our day is complete and it is only 11:30 am. Lots of time to eat, shower, do some laundry and check out Bottineau.

COH Day 11

The hope for a good day almost always trumps the desire to take a day off. So with that in mind I decided to ride today. After all, the distance was only 150 km, no problem, right! Well, the first 40 km was a problem. Right into a southwest wind period. Things should get better when we turn east. After nearly two hours I turn and have the wind at my back. Riding speeds have increased from 18-25 kph to 30-45 kph and at one point nearly 73 kph. The ride is finished in 5 hours and 37 minutes moving time. We arrive at the school at Kenmare at about 1:30 in the afternoon. Lots of time to relax, eat ice cream, unpack and clean up. Supper is downtown at the town park and coincides with a celebration for Kenmare volunteers. There is a BBQ, band, dunk tank and a lawn tractor derby. Participating with the community like this is a very enjoyable part of the ride. After dinner a few of us head back to the school where we are staying but stop by a Super Value for our favorite treats.

It's all about the belly button

My question is, what's the optimal belly button height for cycling, paddling, or strength training?:

Belly Buttons Key to Success in Sport: Study

TdF meets MMA

I lost interest in the TdF a while ago (honestly it was never the same after Mario Cipollini left the peloton) but stuff like this might bring me back to the fold:

COH Day 10

We are up at our usual 5 am. But there is less rushing today because breakfast is not until 6:30. The bikes are rolling at about 7:15 and will cover 165 km. With the time change included we will not arrive in Crosby, ND very early. If the winds are with us, we should move along quite quickly, however, the winds are not favorable (nor is the route profile). The wind is approximately 30 kph mostly at our sides, this will be a really tough day. I resist the urge to pack up and quit, but I also checkout mentally and focus on just turning over the pedals. James is taking the whole day off and taking many photos, Glenn racks after lunch. Stubbornly I refuse to quit. I really want to complete two consecutive century days but the wind and the hills are beginning to wear me out. Seven hours, forty minutes riding time and I am done. A quick shower and then a wonderful meal at the church. I am exhausted as I write this post. Tomorrow will be 140 km; I may take the day off.

Today's profile:

COH Day 9

As we wake up the sky is already starting to put some drops onto the pavement. Not much, but many people are changing their clothing choices. I swap my good wheels out, put on my rear fender and change to my older shoes (who needs to get nice white shoes dirty). I also throw on a light shell. The temperature is considerably cooler today than the last couple of mornings. Glenn is wearing a jersey, no jacket. A brave choice. I grab a couple of pieces of warm bread that passes for toast. I couldn't wait for the toaster to complete the job. What a rush to get things done, and I plan to ride a 100 miles! As the ride moves out the pavement is wet but the rain is very light. I move back and forth among various riders, spending time with several. I have no specific plan today. I've done centuries before and have discovered three important rules:
1. Eat,
2. Drink and
3. don't stop pedaling until you are done.

The first eighty kilometers are tough. We are moving uphill and into the wind. It's difficult to set up any rhythm as you are almost always climbing or descending. By lunch we are moving east again. At the end of the day we have climbed over 800 meters. With about 40km left I catch four other CoH riders and ride with them for about 10-15km. At one point, just to change things up a bit I ask the guys to unclip their left foot and pedal using their right leg. This is immediately met with a chorus of groans and other various remarks. Oh yeah, we were going up hill when I made this suggestion. 20 more kilometers and I arrive at our stay for the night, the school in Scobey, Montana. My odometer reads 157.5 km so I will make a few trips around the block to make it a century. Supper is made by our group and the rest of the evening is spent preparing for tomorrow's century.

COH Day 8

Today is our only scheduled rest day (just like the Tour). But unlike the pro tour riders we are responsible for the care of our own gear. We are allowed to sleep as late as we want but Glenn and I are up cleaning our bikes before it gets too hot outside. At 10am about half of the group leaves to do laundry (how exciting is that). After that, off to a local eatery for lunch. After lunch we move back to the church to visit, rest, complete repairs and write blogs. Some of the group go out for supper but James, myself and a few others order pizza and stay in. The next day is 157 km, with a bit of determination I can turn it into 100 miles.

COH Day 6

Today we rode 145km. The ride was flatter than any previous day so there is not too much to report. I found today's ride the easiest so far. What I would like to do is give a review of two of the pieces of TrainingCoop kit. This morning I pulled the short sleeve jersey and wind vest out of my collection of gear to give them a try. These are well made items and the fit is very good. The jersey has a race fit with a full zip. I have a few other full zip jerseys and none fit as nicely as this one. There is only a little bunching of fabric in the front, hardly more than most 3/4 zips that I own. The pockets are nicely sized and positioned. They are not so big as to seem bottomless but will carry what you need and a bit more. The vest was a nice surprise as the morning started a bit cool. This item worked well even as the temperature rose. The mesh back helped keep the body temperature balanced. I found that the different zipper tabs helped identify each piece without looking. Once the temps got above the need for the vest it easily stashed in one of the jersey pockets. The only difficulty I had was trying to completely undo the vest zipper with one hand as it did not want to release at the very bottom without using two hands.

Missing! COH Day 7

We were up at 5 am again this morning. I packed and had a quick breakfast. By 6:30 we were on our way. 114 km, sunny and warm. Everyone looks healthy and strong. I think the vultures will need to find some other food source today. 114 km after several much longer rides seemed like it would not be very difficult at all. Road conditions however were not great (very poor quality pavement) so the going was slow. Maybe the vultures would be back again. Lunch was set-up at 90 km so there was a short 24 km to the finish. Temperatures increased and speeds decreased. Finally Glenn and I pulled into Glasgow. Daniel stopped us at a convenience store for a soft drink and then we finished the last 2 km. Glasgow Evangelical Church is our host for the next two days. The facility is spectacular. I wanted to share about the way cyclists choose what they believe is prime real estate at the host site. Cyclists will rush in and try to find a spot that is either dark, quiet, cool, close to the washrooms or far away from any disturbances and then HOPE that it's the best. I would guess that most of the time a rider is about 50% successful. There are often many compromises. Today everybody will find the spot they want.

COH Day 5

Wednesday morning 5am wake up call at the civic center in Shelby, Montana. Our gear is packed and we eat a quick breakfast. Today we are riding 100 miles and everyone is anxious to get rolling. Bikes are moving at 7:07am. Our support people try to set up every 20km so that we always have a supply of food and water. The wind is light and at our back and the overall grade is downhill. So the conditions are perfect and at the lunch stop I'm flirting with a 30 kph average speed and I'm riding solo. After an excellent lunch Glenn and I hit the road again. As we leave, James is just pulling in. He is doing a great job and looks determined to finish his first century ride. Glenn and myself keep the pace up and after several more rest stops we pull into Havre, Montana. Our riding time is 5hr 35min. I'm spent, but as we walk into the church I see that our hosts have set up a table of snacks. I dive into the veggies and dip craving something salty. What a great reward for a great day of cycling. Supper is served later. Spaghetti and meat sauce. Some of the best I've tasted (sorry Lael, sorry Mom). During the program after supper all of the first time century riders are recognized for this achievement. James and Glenn are among that group of riders, and although the bikes are dirty I'm too tired to do any servicing. 10pm, my lights should be out.

COH Day 4

I can think of only one day that I have suffered more in the mountains. TomK and I rode the La Sal Mountain route and I think that ride was tougher but not by much. Today's ride was 115 km with two long climbs, 10 and eight kilometers each. It's hard to enjoy the scenery when your heart rate is maxed out. But when things eased up we were able to look around and the views were awesome. We crossed the border on our bikes (very cool) and stopped in St Mary's, MT for lunch. After waiting out a couple of rain showers we started riding again. The next 8 km was all uphill and I must confess I was beginning to wish I had kept my triple chain ring. I was relieved to reach the top and wow what a ride down. We stopped at 115 km, racked the bikes and drove to Shelby.

Cycle of Hope Day 3 Expanded

July 5

It's finally time to start our journey back home. The majority of riders will cycle today. We will start at Pincher Creek and ride to Waterton NP. Everyone has been watching the weather forecast very carefully and hoping that there will be favorable conditions.

The conditions did not disappoint and although it looked like rain closer to the mountains, the showers stayed away during the ride. The wind was light for the first three quarters of the ride. The views inside and outside of the park are incredible and there were many stops to enjoy and take photos. Yeah, there were some hills as you can see from the elevation profile but every climb was rewarded with better views. Nothing long or steep but enough to get the heart rate up.

As we rode into the park the weather started to threaten rain. After lunch a few of us tried to ride up to Cameron Lake. At about one third way to the lake the clouds dropped in really fast and the road began to be spotted with rain. It did not look like a good idea to continue so we rushed back to town and headed for cover. Most of the rest of the day was marked with passing showers so the rest of the afternoon was spent in a cafe. Just before leaving Waterton, James, Glenn and I took delivery of a pizza and enjoyed eating it before leaving for our host community. Our night was spent at the school in Mountain View, AB. Tomorrow we have been told will be a very tough day with some long climbs.

Expanded Highlights of Day 1 and 2

Sorry if the last two posts have been too dry. There was limited time on the computer and there was some writer's block, so I will expand on a few of the highlights of the first two days.

Day 1
It did not take long after we left Winnipeg that we ran into a thunderstorm. All the work cleaning the bike was erased in a flash (pun intended). We eventually stopped for lunch at the visitor's centre in Regina, SK. I had brought left-over pizza. My fellow riders were extremely jealous of my lunch choice. After lunch we continued on to Swift Current. After several more fuel stops we arrived at the Salvation Army church. Bikers and gear were unpacked. The rooms of the church were assessed for potential comfort and spots were claimed. I'll tell you more about this process in a later post. The skies did not look very pleasant all day and shortly after our arrival a hail storm passed through. Though nothing was damaged I hope that this was not a sign of the type of weather that could spoil the ride. The church provided supper for us. After supper there was lots of conversation. Ten pm was lights out. Who was that snoring, I've got to find a quieter spot tomorrow.

Day 2
We left Swift Current for Pincher Creek after packing up our gear and loading the bikes again. We will pack up our gear about 13 times before the trip is done. Some people are very good at packing two weeks of clothes, etc. and sleeping bag and pad quickly. I am NOT one of those people. Although I can put a lot of gear into a bag, I generally take a lot of time to do it and feel way too much pressure, usually getting my bags into the trailer just before they lock up. Several more fuel stops, a Subway lunch stop and we are in Pincher Creek. Lael and I had been on that road only a few days before so I was a bit bored by the view. Once in Pincher Creek everything was unloaded again and we dressed in our cycling gear for a photo at their museum which was displaying a collection of vintage bicycles. After that it was back to the church to set up our sleeping areas. I hope that I am not near that guy that was snoring. Off for supper and then back to our accommodations for night.

Cycle of Hope day 3

Day 3. Pincher Creek to Waterton NP. 57km, 2hr 50min riding time. We started out at 6:15 Monday morning (who starts riding at that time?). The weather was cool but calm for most of the day so riding was great (that was the first 35km, after that the wind picked up and we had to pedal to get down hill). I think the training I did during the last visit to the park helped me relax and not worry about the hills. Spirits are great and everyone is ready for more riding.

Cycle of Hope (CoH) days 1 + 2

Well, the first two days have been completed. We traveled to Swift Current the first day and then Pincher Creek the second day. One of the highlights in Pincher Creek was an invitation to a museum for a photo of our group and a visit to a display of vintage bicycles. Tomorrow we start riding.

Brian D's Cycle of Hope "Grand Depart"

I got up early yesterday morning to see Brian D. off on his "Grand Depart" (hey it was the same day as the start of the TDF ... ah oui!) along with 38 other cyclists taking part in this year's Cycle of Hope ride.


They gathered in the parking lot between Tim Horton's and Canadian Tire at Unicity "Mall" (Canadian enough for ya? - eh!) to load up for their two day drive to Pincher Creek, AB for the start of over 1600 kms of biking (kinda like the TDF - ah oui?).


Brian was happy to get going and I took the opportunity to get pic of him in one our new Coop jerseys (he's got the whole set with him and pleased with their fit ... we are spoiled!). His Lael was there to see him off and he has a number of friends on board from previous rides (I recognized Pete "TenB" and Rob V.) as well as two of his new converts to the COH (James and Glenn).

Here a little video I put together of his "Grand Depart":


Best of luck and smooth riding Brian ... we're all cheering!

Brian's ready for "From The Rockies To The Red"

Brian was back in town today after his trip with Lael out to Waterton and his last biking warm up before he joins this year's Habitat For Humanity - 2010 Cycle of Hope fundraiser bike ride from Pincher Creek AB to Winnipeg - named "From The Rockies To The Red". It starts tomorrow 3 July with a two day drive out to the west, then onto the bikes on 5 July and a planned arrival in Winnipeg midday on 17 July - details Here.

They stopped by for a visit and he chatted about his goals for this year's ride (this is his 4th Cycle of Hope), last minute bike tweaking (always fun to tinker) and plans to make daily updates of pics and or video.

Brian has trained hard and done well with his fundraising ... he is ready to go and we wish him safe biking and good times on the road!